The 1994 CIA World Factbook

by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Population:
13,950,557 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.51% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
20.59 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.49 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
74.51 years
male:
71.52 years
female:
77.65 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Chilean(s)
adjective:
Chilean
Ethnic divisions:
European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%, other 2%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
93%
male:
94%
female:
93%
Labor force:
4.728 million
by occupation:
services 38.3% (includes government 12%), industry and commerce 33.8%,
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 19.2%, mining 2.3%, construction
6.4% (1990)

@Chile, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Chile
conventional short form:
Chile
local long form:
Republica de Chile
local short form:
Chile
Digraph:
CI
Type:
republic
Capital:
Santiago
Administrative divisions:
13 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General Carlos
Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo,
Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes y de la
Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana, Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note:
the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence:
18 September 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Constitution:
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989
Legal system:
based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes
influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative
acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994) election last
held 11 December 1993 (next to be held December 1999); results -
Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (PDC) 58%, Arturo ALESSANDRI 24.4%, other
17.6%
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate (Senado):
election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held December 1997);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total, 38 elected)
Concertation of Parties for Democracy 21 (PDC 13, PS 4, PPD 3, PR 1),
Union for the Progress of Chile 15 (RN 11, UDI 3, UCC 1), right-wing
independents 10
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados):
election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held December 1997);
results - Concertation of Parties for Democracy 53.95% (PDC 27.16%, PS
12.01%, PPD 11.82%, PR 2.96%,); Union for the Progress of Chile 30.57%
(RN 15.25%, UDI 12.13%, UCC 3.19%); seats - (120 total) Concertation
of Parties for Democracy 70 (PDC 37, PPD 15, PR 2, PS 15, left-wing
independent 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 47 (RN 30, UDI 15, UCC
2), right-wing independents 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leaders:
Concertation of Parties for Democracy consists mainly of four parties:
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Gutenberg MARTINEZ; Socialist Party
(PS), Camilo ESCALONA; Party for Democracy (PPD), Victor Manuel
REBOLLEDO; Radical Party (PR), Carlos GONZALEZ Marquez; Union for the
Progress of Chile consists mainly of three parties: National Renewal
(RN), Andres ALLAMAND; Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Jovino
NOVOA; Center Center Union (UCC), Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ
Other political or pressure groups:
revitalized university student federations at all major universities;
labor - United Labor Central (CUT) includes trade unionists from the
country's five largest labor confederations; Roman Catholic Church
Member of:
CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador John BIEHL del Rio
chancery:
1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
(202) 785-1746
FAX:
(202) 887-5579
consulate(s) general:
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco,
and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Curtis W. KAMMAN
embassy:
Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago
mailing address:
Unit 4127, Santiago; APO AA 34033
telephone:
[56] (2) 671-0133
FAX:
[56] (2) 699-1141
Flag:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue
square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the
white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center;
design was based on the US flag

@Chile, Economy

Overview:
Chile has a prosperous, essentially free market economy, with the
degree of government intervention varying according to the philosophy
of the different regimes. Under the center-left government of
President AYLWIN, which took power in March 1990, spending on social
welfare has risen steadily. At the same time business investment,
exports and consumer spending have also grown substantially. The new
president, FREI, who takes office in March 1994, is expected to
emphasize social spending even more. Growth in 1991-93 has averaged 8%
annually, with an estimated one million Chileans having moved out of
poverty in the last four years. Copper remains vital to the health of
the economy; Chile is the world's largest producer and exporter of
copper.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $96 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
5.8% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$7,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.3% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.1% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$10.9 billion
expenditures:
$10.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.2 billion (1993)
Exports:
$10 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
copper 41%, other metals and minerals 8.7%, wood products 7.1%, fish
and fishmeal 9.8%, fruits 8.4% (1991)
partners:
EC 29%, Japan 17%, US 16%, Argentina 5%, Brazil 5% (1992)
Imports:
$9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
capital goods 25.2%, spare parts 24.8%, raw materials 15.4%, petroleum
10%, foodstuffs 5.7%
partners:
EC 24%, US 21%, Brazil 10%, Japan 10% (1992)
External debt:
$19.7 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 9.3% (1992 est.); accounts for 34% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
5,769,000 kW
production:
22.01 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
1,630 kWh (1992)
Industries:
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel,
wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Agriculture:
accounts for about 7% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); major
exporter of fruit, fish, and timber products; major crops - wheat,
corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, deciduous fruit; livestock
products - beef, poultry, wool; self-sufficient in most foods; 1991
fish catch of 6.6 million metric tons; net agricultural importer
Illicit drugs:
a minor transshipment country for cocaine destined for the US and
Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $521 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.6
billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $386 million
Currency:
1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 430.57 (January 1994), 404.35 (1993),
362.59 (1992), 349.37 (1991), 305.06 (1990), 267.16 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

@Chile, Communications

Railroads:
7,766 km total; 3,974 km 1.676-meter gauge, 150 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 3,642 km 1.000-meter gauge; 1,865 km 1.676-meter gauge
and 80 km 1.000-meter gauge electrified
Highways:
total:
79,993 km
paved:
10,984 km
unpaved:
gravel or earth 68,615 km (1990)
Inland waterways:
725 km
Pipelines:
crude oil 755 km; petroleum products 785 km; natural gas 320 km
Ports:
Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San
Antonio, Talcahuano, Arica
Merchant marine:
31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 449,253 GRT/755,821 DWT, bulk
10, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, combination ore/oil 3, liquefied gas
tanker 3, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3
note:
in addition, 1 naval tanker and 1 military transport are sometimes
used commercially
Airports:
total:
392
usable:
349
with permanent-surface runways:
47
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
13
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
58
Telecommunications:
modern telephone system based on extensive microwave radio relay
facilities; 768,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 159 AM, no FM,
131 TV, 11 shortwave; satellite ground stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT and 3 domestic

@Chile, Defense Forces

Branches:
Army of the Nation, National Navy (including Naval Air, Coast Guard,
and Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of Chile (National
Police), Investigative Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 3,705,321; fit for military service 2,759,130; reach
military age (19) annually 120,512 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.)

@China